Assignment: Legislation Grid and Testimony/Advocacy Statement
As a nurse, how often have you thought to yourself, If I had anything to do about it, things would work a little differently? Increasingly, nurses are beginning to realize that they do, in fact, have a role and a voice.
Many nurses encounter daily experiences that motivate them to take on an advocacy role in hopes of impacting policies, laws, or regulations that impact healthcare issues of interest. Of course, doing so means entering the less familiar world of policy and politics. While many nurses do not initially feel prepared to operate in this space effectively, the reward is the opportunity to shape and influence future health policy.
To Prepare:
- Select a bill that has been proposed (not one that has been enacted) using the congressional websites provided in the Learning Resources.
The Assignment: (1- to 2-page Legislation Grid; 1-page Legislation Testimony/Advocacy Statement)
Be sure to add a title page, an introduction, purpose statement, and a conclusion. This is an APA paper.
Part 1: Legislation Grid
Based on the health-related bill (proposed, not enacted) you selected, complete the Legislation Grid Template. Be sure to address the following:
- Determine the legislative intent of the bill you have reviewed.
- Identify the proponents/opponents of the bill.
- Identify the target populations addressed by the bill.
- Where in the process is the bill currently? Is it in hearings or committees?
Part 2: Legislation Testimony/Advocacy Statement
Based on the health-related bill you selected, develop a 1-page Legislation Testimony/Advocacy Statement that addresses the following:
- Advocate a position for the bill you selected and write testimony in support of your position.
- Describe how you would address the opponent to your position. Be specific and provide examples.
- At least 2 outside resources and 2-3 course specific resources are used.
ExcellentGoodFairPoorFederal and State LegislationPart 1: Legislation GridBased on the health- related bill you selected, complete the Legislation Grid Template. Be sure to address the following:
- • Determine the legislative intent of the bill you have reviewed.
- • Identify the proponents/opponents of the bill.
- • Identify the target populations addressed by the bill.
- • Where in the process is the bill currently? Is it in hearings or committees?
Expert Answer and Explanation
Legislation Grid and Testimony/Advocacy Statement
Introduction
When a country has health policies, the population in that country benefits from it in a great way. The Health Care Improvement Act of 2021 is the proposed bill that will be discussed in this paper. The legislation grid helps in summarizing the bill, its intent, the proponents, and the target population. Additionally, the state of the bill processing will be discussed. Further, the paper will have an advocacy statement that involves a personal outlook of the proposed bill. The paper will lastly have a description of the addressing of the opponents.
Purpose Statement
This paper will help in advocating for the adoption of legislation that will help in making changes in the healthcare marketplace. The legislation will help in expanding premium assistance, the expansion of Medicaid, and the establishing the option of public health insurance. The legislation is aimed at helping a lot of American citizens to get better healthcare services.
Legislation Grid
The health bill is the Health Care Improvement Act of 2021 for American citizens. The bill was proposed to improve the healthcare for patients. The bill is intended to amend the patient’s protection as well as the affordable care Act (Congress.gov, 2021). The amendment aims at reducing the cost of healthcare and the expansion of healthcare coverage to many Americans.
The Legislative Intent
The bill will help in the expansion of the premium tax credit that will assist patients on the bases of their household income, for the purchased insurance plan. The bill will help fund the health insurer of the state through the reinsurance payment plan. The funding for insurance-related costs for individuals that are enrolled in the plan of the individual marketplace (Congress.gov, 2021). The bill further helps in rescinding some of the rules and policies that are in line with short-term, limited-duration plans as well as the innovation of the waiver of the state.
The bill also helps in establishing the option of public health insurance option that will be in the individual marketplace. The bill will enable Medicare or Medicaid users to participate in the public option. Making changes concerning payments for rural healthcare givers and permits will be enabled by the changes the bill will make (Govinfo, 2022). There will be the authorization of health and human services to help in negotiating with the manufacturer for the pricing of prescription of drugs that are offered the Medicare. Finally, the bill will help in establishing guidelines for employers that provide them with information on their availability of health coverage.
Opponent
The bill to expand access to affordable health care was proposed by Senator Mark R. Warner. Mr. Warner introduced the bill of Health Care Improvement Act to help build on the progression of the affordable care act to help in expanding health care coverage, reducing costs, and helping protect Americans with preexisting conditions (Congress.gov, 2021). Senator Warner aimed to help the American people to get affordable health care.
Proponents
More than 50 groups are opposing the proposed Health Improvement Act. Although the bill is aimed at reducing the cost of health care by enabling Americans to pay less. The people that oppose the Act include the nurses, doctors, hospitals, teachers, and churches among others. The opponents feel like the bill will weaken the Medicare that will help voucher programs that help in shifting costs and risks to seniors (Cooper, 2022). Some of these groups include the National Physicians Alliance, American Public Health Association, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, and HIV Medicine Association, among others.
Target Population
The Health Care Improvement Act of 2021 is targeted to lower the cost of healthcare for all working families. The working families are helped where the Act will help in capping health care costs on the ACA exchanges. The Bill aims at reducing the health insurance cost to 8.5 percent and below for all working families.
Status of the Bill
The Health Improvement Act was lastly read in the Senate on 02/22/2021 (Congress.gov, 2021). The bill was read twice and was referred to the committee of finance. The bill is yet to be enacted by the senate. The passing of the Health Improvement Act will help many Americans to get affordable healthcare.
Advocacy Statement
I support the proposed Bill S.352 – Health Care Improvement Act of 2021. As a healthcare provider, I would appreciate any bill that would help patients to get healthcare at an affordable cost. It is sad to see patients suffer and fail to receive the required healthcare due to financing. Existing research shows that overall 16.9% of Americans report at least 1 financial barrier to accessing healthcare (Kearney et al., 2021). In 2019, 26% of American adults reported having problems paying medical bills which had a major impact on their families (Kearney et al., 2021). The proposed bill will enable most Americans to afford healthcare and benefit from the bill. Through the increase in healthcare enrollment and access to care and reduced cost of healthcare for working families.
I would address the opponent by encouraging them to focus on the benefits of the proposed bill. There should be conduction of education programs that would enlighten the opposition to the bill on the benefits most American families would experience if the bill is enacted. Some of the merits of the bill Health Care Improvement Act of 2021 are the provision of additional incentives to the states that will help in expanding their Medicaid, enabling the negotiation of prices of prescriptions for drugs offered through Medicare among others (WHSV Newsroom, 2021). The bill would help patients to get affordable healthcare as well as be in a position to get medicine that they can easily afford.
Part 2
Legislation Comparison Grid Template
Legislation Comparison Grid and Testimony/Advocacy Statement
| Health-related Bill Name | The Health Care Improvement Act of 2021
|
| Bill Number | S.352 — 117th Congress |
| Description | The bill was introduced by Senator Warner on 02/22/2021. The legislation will help in expanding premium assistance, the expansion of Medicaid, and the establishing the option of public health insurance. The legislation is aimed at helping a lot of American citizens to get better healthcare services.
|
| Federal or State? | Federal |
| Legislative Intent | The bill will help in the expansion of the premium tax credit that will assist patients on the bases of their household income, for the purchased insurance plan. The bill will also reduce out-of-pocket costs of healthcare by beneficiaries.
The bill will help fund the health insurer of the state through the reinsurance payment plan. The funding for insurance-related costs for individuals that are enrolled in the plan of the individual marketplace (Congress.gov, 2021). The bill further helps in rescinding some of the rules and policies that are in line with short-term, limited-duration plans as well as the innovation of the waiver of the state.
|
| Proponents/ Opponents | Proponents: Senator Mark R.
|
| Opponents: National Physicians Alliance, American Public Health Association, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, and HIV Medicine Association, among others.
|
|
| Target Population | Working families
|
| Status of the bill (Is it in hearings or committees?) | The bill was introduced to the Senate on 02/22/2021.
After two readings the bill was referred to the committee on finance. |
| General Notes/Comments
|
The adoption of the S.352 – Health Care Improvement Act of 2021 would positively help the targeted population. Patients will be in a position to access low-cost healthcare options as well as insurers to offer health care coverage across the state boundaries. The number of patients that suffers due to lack of health insurance will be reduced at a high rate by the proposed bill. The negotiation of prescription drug prices will help many families to afford medication and most illness that has high-cost drugs that were spreading at a high rate will relatively go down. |
Conclusion
The adoption of the S.352 – Health Care Improvement Act of 2021 would positively help the targeted population. Most American working families will help the patients to get affordable healthcare which is essential to most of them. Patients will be in a position to access low-cost healthcare options as well as insurers to offer health care coverage across the state boundaries. Any bill that helps in the improvement of healthcare should be enacted. The S.352 – Health Care Improvement Act of 2021 is a bill that will help to improve healthcare for patients.
References
Congress.gov. (2021). Text – S.352 – 117th Congress (2021-2022): Health Care Improvement Act of 2021. Congress.gov. https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/352/text
Cooper, J. (2022, March 8). Groups opposing the American Health Care Act. Congressman Jim Cooper. https://cooper.house.gov/groups-opposing-republican-health-plan
Govinfo. (2022). Congressional Bills. Govinfo.gov. https://www.govinfo.gov/app/collection/bills
Kearney, A., Harmel, L., Stokes, M., & Brodie, M. (2021, December 14). Americans’ Challenges with Health Care Costs. KFF. https://www.kff.org/health-costs/issue-brief/americans-challenges-with-health-care-costs/
WHSV Newsroom. (2021, January 29). Sen. Warner announces a bill to expand access to affordable health care. Https://Www.nbc29.com; WVIR. https://www.nbc29.com/2021/01/29/sen-warner-announces-bill-expand-access-affordable-health-care/
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